So, you won’t be setting a Christmas table for another six months, so why talk about tablescapes in July? Because now is the time to start searching for the things you might want to add to your collection, or sew up a table topper or runner. The table topper here is quilted and covers the entire top of the table. I set my placemats and dishes on top of it. It is the sampler quilt I showed a few days ago. Quilted table toppers and runners make wonderful Christmas gifts for your friends and family.

Last year I wanted some forest green chargers for my tablescaping stash, and could not find any. Not one. No where. Not even in the online stores, or auction sites. I scoured the local thrift stores to no avail. I did score some gold ones one year, and those just had to do.

For thrift store junkies like me, you never know when you’ll come across something perfect. These paper napkins were 50 cents in the final markdown basket at the thrift store. The black background went perfectly with my holiday luncheon plates. The key is to keep your eyes open. The same thing applies to shopping at the discount stores, tag sales, and out of season sale tables. Another idea, use those spreaders you never use at the breakfast table for butter or my Black Cherry Creme on Popovers. Those little touches for your family will bring holiday cheer all season long.

And keep your options open for small things that make a centerpiece interesting. Lots of small items together create a low display that guests can talk over and admire like these birdhouses and Santa figures. I find more of these little Santa figures every year, just bought another one last week. They are sitting on another quilted table topper.

An integral part of most of my tablescapes are quilted runners or table toppers. One I use over and over is the one shown in the picture below, a simple hexagonal shape with rings of alternating values and colors in red, green and ecru.

Dig out your Christmas fabrics and make this table topper before you need it. You can make it in all kinds of color combinations for all seasons. The pattern is free in my Craftsy store, link on the sidebar! While you are there, please take a look at my other patterns, your purchases help fund the postage for giveaways.

If you would like to do a runner, here is a link to the quilted runner I did last Christmas as a quilt-along. Christmas Star Runner

Another very simple runner can be made with Christmas fabric as the center surrounded by squares. Cut a piece of focus fabric 8 inches x 32 inches.

Cut 3-inch strips of red and green fabrics to coordinate with the print. You’ll need two WOF strips.

Sew those together for a two color border. Two green squares and one red square were sewn together, then sewn to the ends. The side borders begin and end with red squares, 15 on each side.

Quilting it is simple, with King Tut thread of course. I cut the same red fabric into 2-1/2 inch strips for binding and stitched it in place.

I had a nice Sunday stitching down the binding on the back while watching the football games last fall. The little runner covers the book table in the kitchen. Christmas cookbooks are set out with it, these from my Gooseberry Patch collection.

I finally did find some green chargers, they came the last week of June! I’ll have them on the table this season.

Today’s giveaway is sponsored by

Superior Threads!

I absolutely love King Tut threads, wonderful for quilting those table toppers and runners and your Christmas quilts. The thread is strong, with a nice finish, and quilts beautifully through any kind of batting. Superior is offering a prize of 4 spools of King Tut Thread along with a pack of Superior needles! This giveaway is open to readers in the USA. Superior Threads Education.While you are there, if you wish, scroll to the bottom and sign up for their newsletter by looking for the box shown here in the bottom right corner. Come back and comment on what you learned! If you signed up for the newsletter, or you already subscribe, you can have a second entry, just leave a second comment saying you follow Superior. Want a third entry? Leave a comment if you follow my blog, and how you follow. Entries close on July 24th at noon, winners will be notified by email, and announced on the blog July 25th.

Drawing has been held and winner sent an email. Thank you for entering!

I learned so much about bobbins…tension issues, how much thread my bobbin holds and lots of great bobbin tips. I love King Tut thread and use it a lot. I am off to make your table runner…well actually it will be my table runner but I’m sure you knew that…thanks again for all of the inspiration. I think my Christmas will be very relaxed since I am getting a great head start.

I already follow Superior threads and love their thread choices. I appreciate the tutorials and question/answers they have. One thing I recently learned from them is that direct sunlight can weaken thread. Good thing to know!

I have not worked with metallic threads yet. So I checked that out. Wow I knew none of this. Going slow and why, tension, placing spool properly on machine and why, etc. very cool indeed. Book marked that page for all this wonderful educational hints. thanks for sharing this page with us.

There are neutral colors in every color family. This is the surprising fact I learned on the Superior Threads education site. The first 25 colors of the Bottom Line are the first neutral colors they manufactured.

I clicked on “tutorials” on the Superior site and learned how to make fiber art using thread snips! I have a secret stash of thread snips and this would be a wonderful project to make….I might have to keep sewing and snipping those threads to have enough though!

I went and watched a video on how to do a French Seam! It was great and I will definitely be using this technique for many seams in the future! Thank you for sharing their site, it is a thread I have not tried and would be interested in trying. Plus, you know I love your table settings and everything that you do with them. So you just keep on sharing every little bit and have fun with it, your new Santa is adorable! I have been trying to find the opportunity to make the table runner we made last year again this year, but have not found the opportunity yet…but the fabrics are all laid out waiting for the moment to get cut up and made into the beautiful table runner again! Thank you for sharing and have a fantastic creative day!

Bobbin tension! great video, easier to understand than still photos. I’ve only messed with mine once, with okay results, but I am a thread heathen, coats and clark from JoAnn is my go to, and I have yet to use the beautiful threads I won last year, one of those “save for something special” cases… but since I only top stitch or quilt in the ditch right now, why am I waiting? I need to get my middle aged Viking in for adjusting, when I drop the feed dogs, it doesn’t engage the bobbin thread. Time to pull out the Singer 301 I think, and give her a work out! I’ll be back to their site to learn some more. thanks!
sharon in co

Thanks for showing all of your lovely projects! I have never used Superior Threads, but I’ve been reading about their products off and on for the last 2 weeks. I’d love to try them! Thanks for the chance!

When looking at their website, the information stressed the importance of matching the thread to the fabric for piecing quilts. So many quilters use neutral beige colors but all colors have their own neutral. Good info to know when constructing all quilts outside of the utility quilt category. It’s easy to become complacent and just use whatever I have on hand but no more!

a great place for all that information. And although I do not qualify, as am way down in NZ, still need to comment on your lovely patterns for table toppers. The hexagon one will be on my list to make for presents later in the year.

I learned that it is okay to use a polyester thread with cotton fabrics because, “thread will not tear through a fabric solely due to its fiber content. If a thread ever tears through a fabric, it is because it won the strength contest.”

Hi…I learned about thread, and tips and looked through their tutorials….and bookmarked the page to go back when I have more time. Your tablescapes are so beautiful. As hot as it is here today I can hardly wait for Christmas. I think I’m more excited about this giveaway….I haven’t tried King Tut threads yet…I’ve bought So Fine online from Superior. Wish me luck!

I’m from the South, so of course I’m always interested in learning more about Cotton and Cotton Thread! As a young girl, one summer I even picked cotton in the field – before cotton picking machines came along. Today, I learned that an average cotton boll is about two inches in diameter and contains 500,000 fibers of cotton and that each plant may bear up to 100 bolls.

I love Superior threads – it’s the only metallic I like. My favorite is the silver variegated metallic, though I like the gold one, too. I learned that a lot of the big names are using polyester threads these days.

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My blog is a variety of subjects, quilting and sewing, tablescapes and recipes, book reviews and hand stitching, crafting and mountain living. If you are visiting from Fave Quilts, All Free Sewing, Pinterest, a link up site, or just found me, please stay a bit and have a look around, my tutorials are gathered at the top in pages to make them easy to find. Lots of fun is had here, and I invite you to follow with any of your favorite methods, see the sidebar for ways to follow. My mystery quilt along begins in January, see the sidebar for projects in progress. Click on the blog title From My Carolina Home at the top of the page to see the latest posts on the blog.

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